Marinate the Chicken

• Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade together in a medium bowl.
• Separate the chicken drumsticks and cut the thighs into smaller pieces. Make a few slits in the drumsticks, then coat the chicken evenly with the marinade.
• Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 to 8 hours. If you’re short on time, let the chicken marinate at room temperature while you prepare the other layers, up to an hour.

Cook the Rice (Instant Pot Method)

• Start by cooking the rice first. Extra long grain basmati rice is recommended for biryani.
• Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve under cold tap water until the water runs clear.
• Transfer to a stainless steel pot-in-pot container, if you have one. If not, you can directly cook it in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
• Add 2 cups of water, the whole spices, salt and oil to the rice. It is not necessary to stir.
• Add the remaining 2 cups of water to the inner pot of the Instant Pot and place the trivet. Place the container with the rice and water over the trivet.
• Close the lid with the vent in the sealing position.
• Cook on “Rice” mode for the default 12 minutes.
• When the cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally—which will take 10 to 12 minutes—and then open the lid. (Alternatively, you can also cook the rice along with the whole spices, salt and oil mixed with 4 cups of water in a pot over the stove by bringing it to a boil and then simmering covered for 15-20 mins till the rice is cooked completely.)
• Pick the whole spices that have risen to the top of the cooked rice. You can either reserve them for garnishing over the layered dish or discard them.
• Let the rice cool naturally while the other components get ready.

Make the Base Masala Sauce

• Heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) of oil in a heavy bottomed Dutch oven or an oven-friendly pot.
• Transfer the sliced yellow onions to the hot oil. Sprinkle some salt to help the onions soften quickly.
• Sauté the onion for 12-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown.
• Reserve about 1/3 cup of the fried onions for garnishing.
• Add the ginger-garlic paste to the remaining onions and sauté for a minute.
• Add the turmeric, red chili powder and the biryani masala and sauté for about 30 seconds to let the spices bloom.
• Add the tomato paste and stir to combine it well with the spiced onions mixture.
• Stir in the diced tomatoes along with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water and deglaze the bottom of the pot by scraping it with the cooking spoon.
• Continue sautéing for 4-5 minutes till the tomatoes cook down and most of the moisture is absorbed.

Cook the Chicken

• Add in the marinated chicken to the prepared base masala sauce.
• Stir to combine everything well.
• Simmer covered for 10-12 minutes.
• Uncover and cook on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes till most of the moisture is absorbed and the chicken is fully cooked.

Assemble the Biryani

• While the chicken cooks, soak saffron in the hot water. With a spoon, try to crush the saffron in the water to give it a deep yellow color.
• Preheat the oven to 250 °F (120 °C).
• Gently fluff the rice and layer it in the pot over the cooked chicken.
• Drizzle the saffron-infused water over the rice.
• Garnish with the reserved fried onions and whole spices, if reserved.

Finish in the Oven & Serve (see FAQs & Notes for Make – ahead tip)

• Cover the pot with the lid and transfer it to the preheated oven.
• Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until ready to serve.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro/coriander.
• To plate it for serving, transfer the rice layer onto a serving platter and top with the chicken layer.
• Serve warm along with a raita.